I published my first round of 2016 Oscar predictions today. We don’t know about everything yet, but I think we’re far enough along that it’s not terribly reductive to start looking at 2015’s films through awards-colored glasses.

To sum things up succinctly, I’m high on The Hateful Eight. The lack of an obvious front-runner at this stage is exciting and leads me to believe that something still to come will be 2016’s Oscar behemoth.

I’m hopeful for Mad Max: Fury Road. It’s one of my favorite films of the year, and I think it’s got enough passionate support that it could sneak into a Best Picture lineup. And really, who can deny George Miller’s work in the director’s chair?

I’m curious about films like The Revenant and Joy. Like The Hateful Eight, we don’t know much about either. Both are 20th Century Fox properties and getting released on December 25. Both are directed by recent Academy favorites and star Oscar-friendly actors. We’ll see.

Check out my full list of 2016 Oscar predictions, and for a deeper dive into every possible nominee, I’m running down various studios’ 2015 lineups to decide if their FYC pages are a little ambitious or absolutely crazy. First up: Universal. Weinstein and Fox Searchlight are coming soon.

Finally, check out some of my reviews of the potential 2016 Oscar nominees: